Forget Me Not
by Rubara
Summary: The last unicorn must set out on another quest, this time in a world so alien to her that she might not survive: the modern world.


Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not   
by Rubara

_Part One: New Age_

The unicorn looked sadly at the once-beautiful lilac wood where she lived. It had been so long since her quest. Animals didn't measure time like humans did, immortal ones didn't at all. But the unicorn who learned to regret and to love knew that it had been a very long time since she'd last seen her human friends. Far too long. She'd sensed it when it had first began happening, first Molly and Shmendrick, then Lir. All growing old and then dying. She'd felt extreme grief at their passing, even went so far as to leave the forest again to see their final resting places. 

_She'd lingered by the mound of dirt that covered her mortal love's body, a single tear running from her crystalline eyes. The wind blew through her mane, rippling it like a silvery stream as the sun silhouetted her at the crest of the hill. Then she'd lowered her horn to touch the lifeless soil and instantly a flood of sky-blue forget-me-nots burst into bloom, the same color as his eyes. She gazed sadly at the blossoms for a long time, standing there long into the night, then she'd slowly walked back to her forest, never to return..._

The unicorn snorted and tossed her head, stamping a slender hoof and flicking her tail in irritation at the memories. It did no good to live in the past. It only made one depressed. She was depressed enough as it was. She walked silently to the boundary of the forest, standing behind a bush to hide herself as she gazed at the concrete forest that was slowly encroaching on her forest. She'd been watching its progress ever since the first buildings had appeared. The air near it stank of foreign chemicals and poisons, and the racket the human machines made totally destroyed the quiet peace of the forest. She'd heard the rumors from the forest animals who ventured near the human place, but she didn't want to believe them. Humans had again forgotten the unicorns and their magic, and from what the sharp-eyed eagles said, unicorns were gone again from the world. The human world of science and logic was driving out the magical and immortal beings. If what the forest creatures said was true, then she could quite possibly be the very last magical being left in the world. She had to know for sure if it was true, if the humans really had forgotten unicorns again. 

But she was afraid. The world outside her forest had changed so much. Humans would notice her, even if they saw only a white mare and not a unicorn. But she had to find out if the rumors were true. She had to set out on another quest. She hesitated, looking back at the forest she had always lived in. She hated to leave her home again, but how else was she to find out the truth? She sighed softly and lowered her head to touch her horn to the ground in front of her. 

_I will return as soon as I learn the truth, _she thought sadly. _If it's not too late to save my home._

She turned back toward the sprawling human city, looking at it silently. Then she reared and let out a whinny, then sprang into a gallop, heading once again into the unknown.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Lira King sighed in exasperation as yet another perfect photograph was ruined by one of her white Arabian horses getting in the way. It was next to impossible to get them to stop trying to shake off the fake horns she put on them for her photography. But it was worth it to give the pictures to those who needed most the hope that sight of a unicorn brought. She ran a hand through her short blonde hair with a rueful smile as one of the younger mares walked up to her and nuzzled her cheek, pearlescent plastic horn askew. 

She'd always been fascinated by unicorns, ever since she was a child. Her favorite bedtime story was the one about her ancestor, King Lir, who supposedly fell in love with a unicorn in human form. She still lived on the ancestral land, which she'd made into a horse ranch to earn a living. But there was one spot on a hill that she had fenced off, a small plot of earth where a mound of uniquely blue forget-me-nots bloomed year-round. It was said that that was where King Lir was buried and that the blossoms were the last gift from the unicorn whom he had loved. 

It was a romantic story, but that was probably all that it was. Lira WISHED that it was true. She'd love to see the unicorn heroine from her favorite story. 

A loud whinny of greeting from the silvery Arabian stallion caught her attention and she looked up to see a shining white form with a horn standing at the crest of the hill by the flowers. She gasped softly and lifted her camera. It was a perfect shot! She quickly snapped a picture, then stared unbelieving at the equine form. This was no ordinary horse! It was an impossibly pure white with slender legs like a deer's and a tail like a lion's. Its head was more delicate than a mere horse's and the horn had no visible fastenings of any kind. Could it be a unicorn? _THE _unicorn? 

Lira took a step forward. "Unicorn? Are you the one called Lady Amalthea?" she asked. 

The unicorn looked at the human woman in surprise. "You know me? You know what I am?" 

The human nodded, her face full of awe. "How could I not? Are you the one called Lady Amalthea? King Lir's unicorn?" 

The unicorn blinked at her. "You know King Lir?" 

"He was my ancestor." 

The unicorn stared at her. Lir's descendant? She could see the resemblance, but the memory of him saddened her. "Yes, I am the one he called Amalthea," she said softly. 

"I'm Lira. I-...You miss him, don't you?" 

The unicorn looked at Lira. "You are perceptive, Lira. Yes, I miss him. But I have more important matters at hand. I have heard rumors that unicorns are gone again. That the magic and immortal beings are gone. Have you seen them?" 

Lira shook her head slightly. "No, Lady. The only unicorns other than you that I've ever seen were my horses here." She looked at the unicorn, then at her horses, an idea occurring to her. "Lady, there is a horse show coming up. Maybe you could come with me and look for your people there. But I'm not very optimistic about our chances." 

The unicorn looked at her in confusion. "You would help me?" 

"If not you, no one. I'd be honored to help you, Lady. Please, let me help you. Unicorns are needed more than ever in this world! If it weren't for magic, logic and technology would never have come about! We need to preserve the magic of nature! If there are any other unicorns left in the world, they _must_ be preserved! What's the use of life without magic?" 

The unicorn looked at her silently a moment, then dipped her head in agreement. "You are right, Lira. I would be glad of your help. I will go with you to this horse show. But I refuse to be treated like a mere horse." 

Lira looked horrified. "Treat you like a horse? That's unthinkable! You're a unicorn! You're royalty compared to a horse! I wouldn't dare do that to you!" 

The unicorn smiled faintly. "You might not, but others might. I thank you for your offer." 

Lira grinned. "No problem!" 


End file.
